The workspace of a sheet of a spreadsheet application typically comprises an infinite (or seemingly infinite) grid or table that includes an unlimited (or very large) number of rows and columns of cells. Each of the cells typically has associated with it standard spreadsheet functionalities, such as the ability to enter data, formulas, controls, etc., and may include references to values in other cells on the same sheet or on different sheets. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the workspace 100 of a sheet of a typical spreadsheet application. The cells of such a workspace may be organized into one or more tables. Other types of objects, such as charts and graphs, that use data or information contained in one or more cells may be included in the workspace of a sheet. Moreover, objects, such as images, photographs, animations, multimedia content, etc., that do not necessarily depend on information contained in one or more cells and/or may not be associated with any spreadsheet functionality may be included in the workspace of a sheet. However, typically all such tables or other objects are associated with corresponding cells of the infinite (or seemingly infinite) grid comprising the sheet.
Although a subset of the rows and columns of cells in a workspace may be organized into a table, the cells that comprise the table are not encapsulated into a single table object. Thus, a table defined in a typical spreadsheet application lacks flexibility as a single, independent object that can, for example, be formatted, moved around in a workspace, resized, scaled, etc., as a single object. It would be useful to have a workspace in which all content is encapsulated in individual objects, each of which provides with respect to its own content corresponding spreadsheet functionalities, if any and as applicable.
Thus, there is a need for an improved spreadsheet paradigm.